KEY RECOMMENDATIONS 13 Placement decisions for LGBTI prisoners should keep them safe and avoid further marginalisation on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. LGBTI prisoners should be given adequate access to medical care and counselling and any protective measures should not restrict their rights. 14 States should ensure the safety of prisoners and staff at all times, including by improving prison conditions and investing in dynamic security approaches. Countries that have not ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture should do so. All states should avoid the use of solitary confinement where possible and take steps towards its total abolition. 15 Staff should be carefully selected, properly trained (both prior to and during their service), and fully supported so that they are able to work to the highest professional standards. They should also be held accountable, and staff found to have violated laws or policies should be subject to disciplinary proceedings and, where appropriate, criminal proceedings. 16 Contact with the outside world is crucial for the rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners. Because it is a right rather than a privilege, withholding or granting such contact should not be used as either a reward or a punishment. Letters, phone calls and other forms of remote and technology-based communication should never be used as substitutes for in-person visits. 17 Rehabilitation and reintegration initiatives should be implemented as soon as possible after admission, and should address the root causes of an individual prisoner’s offending. Initiatives should include holistic measures, such as education, vocational training, work, medical care, and social and psychological services. Prison work programmes should be well remunerated and working conditions should be safe, and programmes should ensure that prisoners obtain employable skills, with a view to their successful reintegration. 18 The reform of criminal justice and prison systems should be a priority for the international community in its efforts to assist conflict and post-conflict societies. Reforms should focus on re-establishing the rule of law and on treating prisoners in line with international standards, including the Nelson Mandela Rules and the Bangkok Rules. Penal Reform International and Thailand Institute of Justice | Global Prison Trends 2019 19 Strategies to prevent and manage violent extremism in prisons should be proportionate and founded upon international standards and the implementation of the Nelson Mandela Rules. Prison staff should be trained to respond appropriately and rehabilitation programmes should adopt a multi-agency approach. 20 Technological innovation provides many opportunities for improving the efficient functioning of criminal justice systems and supporting the rehabilitation of prisoners. It should not be used in a way that reduces human contact for prisoners or infringes their right to privacy. 21 The use of non-custodial sanctions, especially for minor and non-violent offences, should be expanded to allow offenders to keep their jobs, support their families, compensate victims and provide accountability to society. Non-custodial sanctions should address the root causes of offending, be gender sensitive, and replace prison rather than widening the net of criminal justice control. | 43